Trump steps into North Korean territory during handshake meeting with Kim Jong Un in DMZ

President Donald Trump meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas on Sunday. (Susan Walsh/AP)

President Trump became the first U.S. president to step onto North Korean territory Sunday at an impromptu meeting with the country’s dictator, Kim Jong Un, in the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas.

“This is my honor. I didn’t really expect it,” Trump said, standing next to Kim shortly after they shook hands at about 3:50 p.m. Korean time — 2:50 a.m. in New York.

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“We were in Japan for the G20 [economic summit]," Trump said. "We came over, and I said ‘Hey, I’m over here. I want to call Chairman Kim. And we got to meet.”

“Stepping across that line was a great honor,” Trump added. “A lot of progress has been made, a lot of friendships have been made, and this has been in particular a great friendship.”

Trump broached the idea on Saturday Korean time on Twitter. “If Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!” Trump tweeted.

After some very important meetings, including my meeting with President Xi of China, I will be leaving Japan for South Korea (with President Moon). While there, if Chairman Kim of North Korea sees this, I would meet him at the Border/DMZ just to shake his hand and say Hello(?)!

Trump said the offer was a spur-of-the-moment thing, a remarkable admission since the aspiring nuclear power might see the offer as a sign of weakness on the part of the U.S. after their failed second nuclear summit.

“I just thought of it this morning,” Trump said, admitting that he had no idea if Kim was even in the country. “If he’s there, we’ll see each other for two minutes, that’s all we can, but that will be fine.”

North Korea signaled later Saturday that it would consider the offer. Its state-run news agency quoted a foreign affairs official as saying: “We see it as a very interesting suggestion, but we have not received an official proposal.”

Trump is spending the weekend in South Korea after attending the G20.

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The meeting suggested Trump hasn’t given up hope on forging a nuclear deal with Kim.

The two leaders hit it off well at their landmark first summit and Trump proclaimed Kim’s brutal dictatorship no longer posed a threat even though North Korea made no firm promises to get rid of its nuclear weapons.

The second summit collapsed when Kim demanded an immediate end to some U.S. sanctions.